DESTINATIONS AND PORTS: NORTH AMERICA
Cruising from Port Miami Is Only Getting Better – Offering Travelers Vacations for Every Taste, Budget and Style
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n what other cruise port in the world can a cruise passenger experience world-renowned sandy beaches, colorful Art Deco architecture and popular attractions while sailing away for a funfilled vacation? Only at PortMiami— Cruise Capital of the World! At PortMiami cruise passengers’ vacations start the minute they arrive. Travelers are greeted with friendly porters, gracious safety and security personnel, and enthusiastic cruise line staff ready to assist from check-in to departure.
PortMiami’s cruise facilities are the most modern in the world, providing fast and easy passenger processing and boarding. Port administration is continuously looking at ways to enhance the customer experience by investing in innovative technology and facility improvements. Currently on the drawing board are plans to expand the cruise footprint, including options for new cruise berths and terminals, as well as associated intermodal and parking facilities for the next generation of cruise ships. “Our passengers are of the utmost importance,” says Port Director and CEO Juan 86 | First Quarter 2016 | Travel & Cruise
M. Kuryla. “PortMiami offers its cruise partners and passengers top customer service. We want every cruise passenger to begin their vacation experience the minute they arrive at our port.” Last year PortMiami set another word record in cruise passengers, with nearly 4.9 million cruise vacationers sailing through the Port, and the Cruise Capital is poised for yet another exceptionally strong cruise season. New for the 2015-16 season is a host of new cruise brands and new-build ships that rank among the most innovative vessels on the seas today. The cruise season kicked off with the arrival of Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Norwegian Escape. Many current cruise partners are expanding their Miami fleets. Aida Cruises added two cruise ships to its PortMiami line-up, Aida Mar and Aida Vita; Royal Caribbean will homeport Empress of the Seas in spring 2016; and Resorts World Bimini continues to sail from PortMiami to Bimini. Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Splendor recently started sailing from Miami, and
the line’s largest ship to date, Carnival Vista, is scheduled to launch starting in fall 2016. Additionally, Carnival Corporation named PortMiami as the homeport for the launch of its new social impact travel brand, Fathom, which will embark on seven-day voyages aboard MV Adonia starting spring 2016. Miami will also be home for the first of MSC Cruises’ Seaside-class ships, MSC Seaside, with year-round sailings in winter 2017. Another exciting development is the announcement from Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Cruises, that PortMiami will be the homeport for the first of the new cruise line’s ships starting in 2020. With 18 cruise brands berthing 42 ships, PortMiami is clearly the departure destination of choice for cruises to The Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico and beyond, offering travelers vacations for every budget, taste, and style—from family fun to luxury cruising. PortMiami’s ships have onboard amenities from rock climbing walls to five-star meals. Additionally, passengers can start or end their vacations by extending their stay in Miami.